How do you feel about Joel Osteen?

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Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,431
0
#41
Everyone in the body of Christ has a function set in the body by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. These functions differ amongst us and actually the very same gifts can manifest differently depending on the personality of the believer. We are all unique.

The evangelist can not understand why people are sitting in a church listening to "teaching" when there are lost people out in the world. That is his call and he is passionate about it.

The teacher is concerned that what is being proclaimed is not accurate concerning the work of Christ and we need understanding to grow in the Lord.

The pastor is just trying to mend and feed the sheep that have been beat up in this world by the world and by the biting and devouring of ourselves. Gal.5:15

The exhorter is trying to get people to trust in the goodness and love of God for them.

To judge one function by the other function in the body of Christ is not wise and we end up biting and devouring each other in the name of our belief in what every one's function should be and look like.

Romans 12:6-10 (NASB)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;

[SUP]7 [/SUP] if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;

[SUP]8 [/SUP] or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

[SUP]9 [/SUP] Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

[SUP]10 [/SUP] Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
 

BenFTW

Senior Member
Oct 7, 2012
4,834
981
113
34
#42
Because he doesn't preach the gospel. He calls himself a pastor and that he runs a church, but he is very wishy-washy in his messages.

You said yourself he's more of a motivational speaker, yet has a giant church and calls himself pastor. That Alone should be enough reason to dislike him.

He teaches worldly success. He avoids talking about sin. And some of his teachings mirror new age occultism. He is nothing more than Tony Robbins wrapping his message in misused scripture to dupe his congregation and hide the unbiblical standards and messages he teaches.
So does God. It is the intent behind the wealth that matters. Yes one may enjoy the fruits of their labor but beyond such enjoyment what else do you wish to do with worldy success? One might hope that a person would use it for the spreading of the Gospel and the building of God's Kingdom. To give aid to missionaries and to the helping of others.

How can you be opposed to worldy success when such finances build your churches, prints your bibles and sends your missionaries? Money is important and to be opposed to it you only handicap the body of Christ.
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,552
3,582
113
#44
I've seen some of his sermons and watched some interviews he's done and he seems like a nice guy who wants people to succeed in life. I know some Christians have a negative attitude towards him and I don't really understand why.

I guess you could argue that he's more of a motivational speaker than a preacher. I can't think of any other reason why some Christians don't like him.
Any preacher who declares that you can have your best life now is definitely on the wrong path and should be avoided by all Christians..

[video=youtube;9A1Akgz7FU0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A1Akgz7FU0[/video]


As for me i am looking forward to my best Life in the next life,, The eternal life with Jesus :D You can follow Osteen and have your best life now if you want... I will definitely say No thanks..
 

RickyZ

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2012
9,635
787
113
#46
It is the intent behind the wealth that matters.

How can you be opposed to worldy success
This is how...

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 3:3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Luke 16: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth

Matthew 4:9-10 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Matthew 13:22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Mark 4:19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Luke 8:14 The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

Matthew 19:21-22Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

Mark 10:21-22 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

Luke 18:22-23 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Job 31:24-28 If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; If I have looked at the sun when it shone or the moon going in splendor, And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

Psalm 52:6-7 The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying, "Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire."

Proverbs 11:28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

Jeremiah 49:4 How boastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, O backsliding daughter who trusts in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?'

Ezekiel 28:5 By your great wisdom, by your trade You have increased your riches And your heart is lifted up because of your riches

Psalm 62:10 Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

Proverbs 18:23 The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly.

Proverbs 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

Job 20:17-20 He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds. He returns what he has attained And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them. For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built. Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires.

Proverbs 15:6 Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked.

Proverbs 30:8-9 Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Deuteronomy 32:15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.
Nehemiah 9:25-26 They captured fortified cities and a fertile land They took possession of houses full of every good thing, Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, Fruit trees in abundance So they ate, were filled and grew fat, And reveled in Your great goodness. "But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You, And they committed great blasphemies.

Hosea 13:6 As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me.

Proverbs 23:4 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

Haggai 1:3-5 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?" Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!

Luke 16:19-21 Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores … 25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony

1 Timothy 6:8-9 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Leviticus 19:13 You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.

Deuteronomy 24:12-15 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns.

Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow's plea come before them.

Jeremiah 22:13 Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages,

Micah 6:12 For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Malachi 3:5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.

James 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

James 5:4 Behold, the pay off the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

Job 31:24, 25, 28 If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; ... That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

Psalm 52:7 Behold,the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire."

Proverbs 18:11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination.

Luke 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'

James 5: 1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
 

RickyZ

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2012
9,635
787
113
#47
It is the intent behind the wealth that matters.

How can you be opposed to worldy success
And this...

John 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

1 John 2:15
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

John 12:25
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Corinthians 4
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; [SUP]12 [/SUP]And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: [SUP]13 [/SUP]Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off scouring of all things unto this day. [SUP]14 [/SUP]I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you."

Matthew 5
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 10
22 You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Philippians 1
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith


1 Thessalonians 3
7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.



Being too comfortable in this world is a sign that something is wrong
 
Y

Yahweh_is_gracious

Guest
#48
I don't have any opinion about Joel because I don't know him. I do wonder though that if he wasn't making a mint from all his books and such...if he had not a pot to pee in nor a window to throw it out of, would he still be as evangelical as he presents himself to be? I question his motivations. I question everyone's motivation. Most all of us in this world are a facade and we present to others only what we want them to see, so I try to take that into account when listening to anyone, especially preachers/pastors/ministers.
 

Desertsrose

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2016
2,824
207
63
#49
This scripture sounds nothing like what Joel Osteen says or does.

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.

Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Tim 4:1-4).
 
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
0
#50
This is how...

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 3:3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Luke 16: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth

Matthew 4:9-10 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Matthew 13:22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Mark 4:19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Luke 8:14 The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

Matthew 19:21-22Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

Mark 10:21-22 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

Luke 18:22-23 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Job 31:24-28 If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; If I have looked at the sun when it shone or the moon going in splendor, And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

Psalm 52:6-7 The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying, "Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire."

Proverbs 11:28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

Jeremiah 49:4 How boastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, O backsliding daughter who trusts in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?'

Ezekiel 28:5 By your great wisdom, by your trade You have increased your riches And your heart is lifted up because of your riches

Psalm 62:10 Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

Proverbs 18:23 The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly.

Proverbs 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

Job 20:17-20 He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds. He returns what he has attained And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them. For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built. Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires.

Proverbs 15:6 Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked.

Proverbs 30:8-9 Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Deuteronomy 32:15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.
Nehemiah 9:25-26 They captured fortified cities and a fertile land They took possession of houses full of every good thing, Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, Fruit trees in abundance So they ate, were filled and grew fat, And reveled in Your great goodness. "But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You, And they committed great blasphemies.

Hosea 13:6 As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me.

Proverbs 23:4 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

Haggai 1:3-5 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?" Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!

Luke 16:19-21 Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores … 25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony

1 Timothy 6:8-9 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Leviticus 19:13 You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.

Deuteronomy 24:12-15 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns.

Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow's plea come before them.

Jeremiah 22:13 Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages,

Micah 6:12 For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Malachi 3:5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.

James 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

James 5:4 Behold, the pay off the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

Job 31:24, 25, 28 If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; ... That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

Psalm 52:7 Behold,the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire."

Proverbs 18:11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination.

Luke 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'

James 5: 1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Maybe I missed it, but there didn't seem to be one word in that whole flood that denounced having money.
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,500
1,078
113
#51
He's a fraud just like every other Prosperity preacher
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#52
So does God. It is the intent behind the wealth that matters. Yes one may enjoy the fruits of their labor but beyond such enjoyment what else do you wish to do with worldy success? One might hope that a person would use it for the spreading of the Gospel and the building of God's Kingdom. To give aid to missionaries and to the helping of others.

How can you be opposed to worldy success when such finances build your churches, prints your bibles and sends your missionaries? Money is important and to be opposed to it you only handicap the body of Christ.
Good point Ben, it reminded of something IMO I think God does what God wants without any man's theory or advice on how things should be.. Take a preacher who has money and a bunch of followers and that could be just a simple lesson for those who bash the preacher for it, to except what has been giving to each person and not look upon what our neighbors have as wealth...
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#54
I've got nothing against success. I have quite a lot against "worldly" though.

That's the difference.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
113
#55
JAMES 2:1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9.
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in
also a poor man in vile raiment;

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him,
Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith,
and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.